1.

EXAMPLES.

Those two together long had lived
In mansion prudently contrived,

Where neither tree nor house could bar
The free detection of a star;

And nigh an ancient obelisk

Was raised by him, found out by Fisk,
On which was written, not in words,
But hieroglyphic mute of birds,
Many rare pithy saws concerning
The worth of astrologic learning.
From top of this there hung a rope,
To which he fastened telescope,
The spectacles with which the stars
He reads in smallest characters.
It happened as a boy, one night,
Did fly his tarsel of a kite,

The strangest long-winged hawk that flies,
That, like a bird of Paradise,

Or herald's martlet, has no legs,

Nor hatches young ones, nor lays eggs;
His train was six yards long, milk-white,
At the end of which there hung a light,
Inclosed in lantern, made of paper,
That far off like a star did appear:
This Sydrophel by chance espied,
And with amazement staring wide,
Bless us! quoth he, what dreadful wonder
Is that appears in Heaven yonder?

A comet, and without a beard!

Or star that ne'er before appeared?

I'm certain 'tis not in the scrowl

Of all those beasts, and fish, and fowl
With which like Indian plantations,
The learned stock the constellations;
Nor those that drawn for signs have been
To the houses where the planets inn.

It must be supernatural,

Unless it be that cannon-ball

That, shot i' th' air point-blank upright,
Was borne to that prodigious height;
That, learned philosophers maintain,
It ne'er came backwards down again,
But in the airy regions yet

Hangs, like the body of Mahomet:
For if it be above the shade

That by the earth's round bulk is made,
'Tis probable it may from far
Appear no bullet, but a star.

2. My poem's epic, and is meant to be

Divided in twelve books; each book containing, With love, and war, a heavy gale at sea,

A list of ships and captains, and kings reigning,
New characters; the episodes are three:

A panorama view of hell's in training,
After the style of Virgil and of Homer,
So that my name of epic's no misnomer.

All these things will be specified in time,
With strict regard to Aristotle's rules;
The vade mecum of the true sublime,

Which makes so many poets, and some fools;
Prose poets like blank-verse, I'm fond of rhyme,
Good workmen never quarrel with their tools;
I've got new mythological machinery,

And very handsome supernatural scenery.

3. "Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse:

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced through their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap-

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter:
Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon, on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer! now, Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blixen-
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!"

4. Law is law-law is law; and as in such and so forth and hereby, and aforesaid, provided always, nevertheless, notwithstanding. Law is like a country dance, people are led up and down in it till they are tired. Law is like a book of surgery, there are a great many desperate cases in it. It is also like physic, they that take least of it are best off. Law is like a homely gentlewoman, very well to follow. Law is also like a scolding wife, very bad when it follows us. Law is like a new fashion, people are bewitched to get into it: it is also like bad weather, most people are glad when they get out of it.

5. Come, dance, elfins, dance! for my harp is in tune,
The wave-rocking gales are all lulled to repose;
And the breath of this exquisite evening of June,
Is scented with laurel and myrtle and rose.
Each lily that bends to the breast of my stream,

And sleeps on the waters transparently bright,
Will in ecstasy wake, like a bride from her dream,
When my tones stir the dark plumes of silence and night.
My silken-winged bark shall career by the shore,
As calmly as yonder white cloud on the air;

And the notes ye have heard with such rapture before,
Shall impart new delight to the young and the fair.

6. Oh! water for me! bright water for me,

And wine for the tremulous debauchee!

It cooleth the brow, it cooleth the brain,
It maketh the faint one strong again;

It comes o'er the sense like a breeze from the sea,
All freshness, like infant purity.

Oh! water, bright water for me, for me!
Give wine, give wine to the debauchee!

Fill to the brim! fill, fill to the brim,
Let the flowing crystal kiss the rim !
For my hand is steady, my eye is true,
For I, like the flowers, drink nought but dew.
Oh! water, bright water's a mine of wealth,
And the ores it yieldeth are vigor and health.
So water, pure water for me, for me!
And wine for the tremulous debauchee!
Fill again to the brim! again to the brim!
For water strengtheneth life and limb!
To the days of the aged it addeth length,
To the might of the strong it addeth strength,
It freshens the heart, it brightens the sight,
"Tis like quaffing a goblet of morning light!
So, water, I will drink nought but thee,
Thou parent of health and energy!

When over the hills like a gladsome bride
Morning walks forth in her beauty's pride,
And, leading a band of laughing hours,
Brushes the dew from the nodding flowers;
Oh! cheerily then my voice is heard
Mingling with that of the soaring bird,
Who flingeth abroad his matins loud,

As he freshens his wing in the cold gray cloud.

But when evening has quitted her sheltering yew,
Drowsily flying and weaving anew

Her dusky meshes o'er land and sea,

How gently, O sleep, fall thy poppies on me!
For I drink water, pure, cold, and bright,

And my dreams are of Heaven, the live-long night;
So hurrah! for thee, Water! hurrah, hurrah!
Thou art silver and gold, thou art riband and star!
Hurrah! for bright water! hurrah, hurrah!

POSITIVENESS, CONFIDENCE, AUTHORITY, &c.

All expressions of full and settled Conviction or Confidence on the part of the speaker, have their appropriate symbols; and the same elements which express Certainty are very naturally employed to express Authoritative Command. They will be found to be the same; and the elements for denoting these sentiments are the Downward Slides, and the Radical Stress; and, in energetic expression, these are generally combined with Force. These characteristics of speech belong also to Denying, Reproving, Refusing and Forbidding, to Reprehension and Denunciation, and to Defiance and Adjuration, as well as to strong Affirmation; and even to warm Argument, when employed in defence of one's own rights. Also in their moderate degrees, these elements are suited to Instruction and Precept.-It is not perhaps surprising, that the confidence even of Despair and Resignation should express itself by the Downward movements of the voice.

Vaunting Authority, and a degree of positiveness which implies Self-Admiration, require a Harsh Voice, and the Vanishing Stress; and admit the Equal Direct Wave, combined with the Median Stress on syllables which are emphatic and admit of long quantity.

1.

EXAMPLES.

Your grace shall pardon me, I will not back;
I am too high born to be propertied,